Dr. Kayode Adewale, a Fulbright TEA Fellow and Top 50 Finalist for the 2025 GEMS Global Teacher Prize, is a Nigerian educator and reform advocate whose innovative projects from mathematics clinics to space science education, have earned him global recognition.

He earned his PhD in Educational Evaluation in February 2025 with research on technology-assisted instructional management.

Following this recognition, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, appointed him as the state’s first Education Ambassador, with a mandate to strengthen teacher capacity, leadership, and policy innovation. Central to this is his Transformation1090 initiative, which trains 10 teachers in each of Nigeria’s 109 senatorial districts as drivers of classroom and community transformation.

In line with this vision, Dr. Adewale recently hosted Dr. Amanda Johnson, Director of the Gerald H. Read Center for International & Intercultural Education, Kent State University, Ohio, USA, for a series of landmark workshops in Ogun State.
The first training, held in collaboration with the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Ogun State, focused on teacher mindfulness, equipping educators with strategies for wellbeing, resilience, and classroom performance.

The second, organized for principals and vice principals under ANCOPSS Ogun State, explored “Educators as Leaders and Scholars: Advancing Teacher Leadership and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.” The third, targeted at education officers and policymakers with the support of the Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, provided tools for strategic leadership, governance, and evidence-based reform.

Dr. Adewale stressed that these were not one-off interventions but part of a sustained effort to align local practices with global standards.

“My career objective has always been to contribute and be at the forefront of education transformation in Nigeria. These collaborations bring us closer to that goal,” he said.

He expressed appreciation to the Varkey Foundation for the global recognition, Governor Dapo Abiodun for the trust and enabling environment, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, Commissioner for Education, for his support, and Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, Secretary to the State Government, for backing key initiatives and Chief Murphy Adekoya, the Ogbeni Oja of Ago Iwoye, for his invaluable support in making Dr. Amanda Johnson’s visit truly memorable. He also commended Kent State University for approving Dr. Johnson’s visit.